Poly(benzyl ether) dendrons without conventional gelation motifs as a new kind of effective organogelators

Two poly(benzyl ether) dendrons,decorated in their periphery with nitrile groups,were divergently synthesized and fully characterized.Their gelation properties were studied by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray crystal structure analysis and concentration-and temperature-dependent 1 H NMR spectroscopy.It was found that the gelation capability of these dendrons was highly dependent on dendron generation,and the second-generation dendron G 2-CN proved to be highly efficient organogelator despite the lacking of any conventional gelation motifs,such as amides,long alkyl side chains and steroidal groups.The multiple strong-stacking interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions due to the peripheral isophthalonitrile motifs were proved to be the main driving forces to form the self-assembled gel.

Two poly（benzyl ether） dendrons, decorated in their periphery with nitrile groups, were divergently synthesized and fully characterized. Their gelation properties were studied by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray crystal structure analysis and concentration- and temperature-dependent 1H NMR spectroscopy. It was found that the gelation capability of these dendrons was highly dependent on dendron generation, and the second-generation dendron G2-CN proved to be highly efficient organogelator despite the lacking of any conventional gelation motifs, such as amides, long alkyl side chains and steroidal groups. The multiple strong π-π stacking interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions due to the peripheral isophthalonitrile motifs were proved to be the main driving forces to form the self-assembled gel.